Project description:In African Americans (AA), the proportion of West African ancestry (WAA) may explain the genetic drivers of health disparities in disease. Analysis of RNA sequencing data from sixty AA-derived primary hepatocytes identified 32 gene expression profiles associated with WAA (FDR <0.05) with enrichment in angiogenesis and inflammatory pathways (FDR <0.1). Association of DNA methylation to WAA identified 1037 differentially methylated regions (FDR <0.05), with hypomethylated genes enriched for drug response pathways. Within the PharmGKB pharmacogene, VDR, PTGIS, ALDH1A1, CYP2C19 and P2RY1 were associated with WAA (p <0.05) with replication of CYP2C19 and VDR in the GTEx liver cohort. For every 1% increment in WAA, P2RY1 gene expression increased by 1.6% and CYP2C19 gene expression decreased by 1.4%, suggesting effects on clopidogrel response and platelet aggregation. We conclude that WAA contributes to variablity in hepatic gene expression and DNA methylation with identified genes indicative of health disparities prevalent in AAs.
Project description:In African Americans (AA), the proportion of West African ancestry (WAA) may explain the genetic drivers of health disparities in disease. Analysis of RNA sequencing data from sixty AA-derived primary hepatocytes identified 32 gene expression profiles associated with WAA (FDR <0.05) with enrichment in angiogenesis and inflammatory pathways (FDR <0.1). Association of DNA methylation to WAA identified 1037 differentially methylated regions (FDR <0.05), with hypomethylated genes enriched for drug response pathways. Within the PharmGKB pharmacogene, VDR, PTGIS, ALDH1A1, CYP2C19 and P2RY1 were associated with WAA (p <0.05) with replication of CYP2C19 and VDR in the GTEx liver cohort. For every 1% increment in WAA, P2RY1 gene expression increased by 1.6% and CYP2C19 gene expression decreased by 1.4%, suggesting effects on clopidogrel response and platelet aggregation. We conclude that WAA contributes to variablity in hepatic gene expression and DNA methylation with identified genes indicative of health disparities prevalent in AAs.
Project description:In African Americans (AA), the proportion of West African ancestry (WAA) may explain the genetic drivers of health disparities in disease. Analysis of RNA sequencing data from sixty AA-derived primary hepatocytes identified 32 gene expression profiles associated with WAA (FDR <0.05) with enrichment in angiogenesis and inflammatory pathways (FDR <0.1). Association of DNA methylation to WAA identified 1037 differentially methylated regions (FDR <0.05), with hypomethylated genes enriched for drug response pathways. Within the PharmGKB pharmacogene, VDR, PTGIS, ALDH1A1, CYP2C19 and P2RY1 were associated with WAA (p <0.05) with replication of CYP2C19 and VDR in the GTEx liver cohort. For every 1% increment in WAA, P2RY1 gene expression increased by 1.6% and CYP2C19 gene expression decreased by 1.4%, suggesting effects on clopidogrel response and platelet aggregation. We conclude that WAA contributes to variablity in hepatic gene expression and DNA methylation with identified genes indicative of health disparities prevalent in AAs.
Project description:In the US, the majority of cancer samples analyzed are from white people, leading to biases in racial and ethnic treatment outcomes. Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality rates are high in Alabama African Americans (AAs) and Oklahoma American Indians (AIs). We hypothesized that differences between racial groups may partially explain these disparities. Thus, we compared transcriptomic profiles of CRCs of Alabama AAs, Oklahoma AIs, and white people from both states. Compared to CRCs of white people, CRCs of AAs showed (a) higher expression of cytokines and vesicle trafficking toward modulated antitumor-immune activity, and (b) lower expression of the ID1/BMP/SMAD axis, IL22RA1, APOBEC3, and Mucins; and AIs had (c) higher expression of PTGS2/COX2 (an NSAID target/pro-oncogenic inflammation) and splicing regulators, and (d) lower tumor suppressor activities (e.g., TOB2, PCGF2, BAP1). Therefore, targeting strategies designed for white CRC patients may be less effective for AAs/AIs. These findings illustrate needs to develop optimized interventions to overcome racial CRC disparities.
Project description:Here, we present the first study showing race and side-specific differences in the trajectories of epigenetic aging in normal colonic mucosa. The cohort conisted of matched biopsies of left/right colon from healthy individuals (n=129). The majority of individuals were African American (n=89). Methylation arrays (Illumina EPIC) were performed on DNA extracted from fresh frozen biopsies taken at the time of colonoscopy. Our results provide novel insight of epigenetic aging underlying racial disparities in CRC. Side-specific colonic epigenetic aging may be a promising marker to guide interventions to reduce CRC burden.
Project description:Prostate cancer (PCa) tends to be more aggressive and lethal in African Americans (AA) compared to European Americans (EA). To further understand the biological factors accounting for the PCa disparities observed in AA and EA patients, we performed gene profiling analysis using Affymetrix human exon 1.0 ST arrays to identify the differentially expressed genes in AA and EA patients. 35 prostate biopsy specimens (tumor and adjacent normal tissues) were collected from 20 African American and 15 European American prostate cancer patients. RNA samples, purified from the collected biopy specimens, were process and applied to Affymetrix human exon ST 1.0 arrays. Array data was normalized, batch corrected and analyzed (1-way ANOVA) using Partek Genomics Suite program.
Project description:Prostate cancer (PCa) tends to be more aggressive and lethal in African Americans (AA) compared to European Americans (EA). To further understand the biological factors accounting for the PCa disparities observed in AA and EA patients, we performed gene profiling using Affymetrix human exon 1.0 ST arrays to identify the differentially expressed genes beween AA cancer and patient matched normal tissues. 40 prostate biopsy specimens (tumor and adjacent normal tissues) were collected from 20 African American prostate cancer patients. RNA samples, purified from the collected biopy specimens, were process and applied to Affymetrix human exon ST 1.0 arrays. Array data was normalized, batch-corrected and analyzed (2-way ANOVA) using Partek Genomics Suite program.
Project description:SUMMARY Non-Hispanic Black/African American (Black/AA) men in the United States have disproportionally higher incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW) men. Biological factors are believed to play critical roles in driving the disparities. Nevertheless, large-scale genomic studies fail to identify significant somatic differences in lung cancer driver genes contributing to the disparities. Elevated expression of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) correlating with poorer prognosis is observed in many cancer types. Here, we observed a higher PRMT6 expression in lung cancer of Black/AA men compared to NHW men. PRMT6 formed a heteromer complex with PRMT1 to catalyze arginine methylation of interleukin enhancer-binding factor 2 essential for cell proliferation. Disrupting PRMT1/PRMT6 heteromer complex by a competitive peptide reduced cell proliferation in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines and lung cancer patient-derived organoids. This work implicates that PRMT1/PRMT6 heteromer complex contributes to poorer lung cancer outcomes in Black/AA men vs. NHW men that could serve as a target to eliminate cancer health disparities.